He pointed to the simple price list he'd just "written" on the table with psychokinesis: a small blackboard with the following chalked on it: Tarot card reading—100,000 points per reading; Crystal Ball clairvoyance—150,000 points per reading; no haggling, payment upfront. In his signature lazy voice, he said:
"Tarot cards are a hundred thousand, and the Crystal Ball is a hundred and fifty thousand. Pay first, then I'll read for you. Get in line. No cutting."
Once word spread about how "alive" Sato Yuta had looked as he left, and a few more skeptics tried their luck,
most of them were second- and third-years with points to spare. They, too, received prophecies so astonishingly accurate that they could hardly believe it.
The once-deserted little stall instantly became one of the main attractions at the Club Recruitment Plaza.
The line gradually grew, drawing plenty of upperclassmen. Most first-years, with their limited points, were still watching from the sidelines.
Those who came for readings asked all sorts of questions: whether they would pass their academic assessments, how to handle relationships with their classmates, whether their crush liked them back, even what little strategies they could use in class competitions...
Lin Mu accepted every customer, but kept up his lazy air. He saw people in order and never wasted words on small talk.
Every time, he had the customer draw a card, while he secretly controlled which one they picked.
Then he combined snippets of the future he'd seen with his precognitive ability and the customer's present state of mind to "interpret" the reading.
Each time, he hit on exactly what was weighing on their mind. Even the smallest details were spot-on.
The students whose fortunes came true were all left marveling in amazement. The title "Divination Immortal" spread like wildfire.
Some people were skeptical, but Lin Mu occasionally used psychokinesis to make the Tarot Cards shuffle themselves or cause a faint glow to bloom inside the Crystal Ball. The air of mystery left even the doubters half-convinced.
More than anything, people were won over by the precise results: expensive, yes, but "worth every point."
One girl from Class 2-B even asked whether a boy in her class would accept her confession and got a positive answer.
She ran off to find out on the spot. Half an hour later, she came running back, cheeks flushed with excitement. Not only had he said yes, he'd invited her to go shopping with him that weekend!
She immediately became Lin Mu's "volunteer promoter," helping to keep the line in order and recommending him to new arrivals.
The line in front of the stall grew longer and longer. It was so popular that even the busy club stalls nearby looked deserted by comparison.
As Lin Mu mechanically repeated the routine of "draw a card, interpret the reading, collect the money," he kept half an eye on the points balance in his terminal.
The numbers shot up like a rocket: twenty thousand, two hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, eight hundred thousand... In less than half a day, the balance in his Private Points account had already crossed the million-point mark!
After subtracting the sixty thousand points he'd spent on supplies, he'd made nearly a million! Far more than he'd expected.
He was so happy he could almost hum to himself, but his face still showed his usual indifference to everything.
The professional fortune-teller's code: keep up an air of mystery and composure in front of customers.
When he was nearly done with the lollipop in his mouth, Lin Mu glanced at the comforting seven-digit figure on his terminal and decided to quit while he was ahead.
A million points was enough to let him slack off in comfort for a long time. He could even stock up on a whole year's worth of top-quality lollipops and all kinds of desserts.
A Slacker knew when he'd earned enough to leave. He'd never spend his precious energy and leisure time just to make a little more.
He picked up the blackboard price list and announced to the people still in line, all gazing at him hopefully, in an even tone:
"That's it for today's readings. I'm packing up. If you still want one, come earlier next time."
"Huh?!"
"How can you do this? I've been waiting forever!"
"Hey, can I pay extra? I'll give you double!"
"Are you coming back tomorrow?"
Disappointed protests, pleas, and offers to pay more rang out all at once. Lin Mu ignored them all; he couldn't be bothered to waste words.
He began packing up the stall, using psychokinesis to help.
The tent folded itself away, and its ropes coiled neatly around it. The table folded up, and the supports slid into place. The Tarot Cards flew into their box, the Crystal Ball dropped into its velvet pouch, and the little stools stacked themselves...
Every item was manipulated by invisible hands, packed away with dazzling speed and precision. At last, everything landed neatly at Lin Mu's feet, bundled into two lightweight travel bags.
The entire process was so smooth and astonishingly fast that the students who hadn't left yet stared in disbelief.
They assumed the "Divination Immortal" had mastered both wilderness survival and packing, and nobody thought to suspect a supernatural ability.
Picking up the lightweight bags, Lin Mu turned and left. His short white hair stirred gently in the afternoon breeze, and he paid no attention to the calls and chatter behind him.
He headed briskly for the dessert shop in the school's commercial district. He'd earned his first real fortune—and a huge one at that—so he naturally had to treat himself.
The dessert shop was full of tempting treats and enticing aromas.
There were all kinds of beautifully decorated cakes, fluffy, flaky cream puffs, brightly colored macarons, and smooth, delicate puddings...
Lin Mu's eyes lit up as he went into "buy everything" mode. Strawberry pudding? In the bag! Chocolate lava cake?
In the bag! Mango mille-crepe, matcha tiramisu, durian cream puffs... He grabbed some of every flavor he liked, without even looking at the prices.
He also picked up several boxes of fancy-looking handmade cookies and nut tarts to save for afternoon tea and late-night snacks.
At checkout, his terminal paid nearly a hundred thousand points. He didn't even frown; he could afford it.
Carrying two large bags of delicious treats, their sweet fragrance wafting around him, Lin Mu found a quiet, sunny spot beneath a tree on campus and sat down.
Leaning against the thick trunk, he opened a strawberry pudding and scooped up a bite with a little spoon.
Cool and silky, sweet but not cloying, the strawberry's fresh fragrance filled his mouth and spread through his whole body.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patches of light across his short white hair and cool, sharply defined profile.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, wrapped in an almost tangible sense of comfort and laziness.
A million points in hand, unlimited desserts, and no more worries about his Private Points balance.
At last, he could live a quiet, carefree life in Class D without a single concern.
This was the perfect Slacker life he'd always dreamed of.
He took his time eating the pudding, already making plans: from now on, he'd open the fortune-telling stall whenever he felt like it.
He didn't need to go every day; he had enough points to spend. He could set up shop now and then just to maintain the "Divination Immortal" reputation and air of mystery.
The rest of his time would be for sleeping, gaming, enjoying desserts, and savoring life...
The sun was warm, and the sweetness seeped into his whole body.
Leaning against the tree, Lin Mu sank completely into the immense happiness he'd found by putting his "superpower" to work.
(I've been a bit busy at work lately, so updates have been irregular. Once I'm on vacation, I'll go back to two updates a day.)
(Event period: May 1 to May 5)
Before you continue